These cozy games are the perfect way to unwind and relax.
Cozy games are entering a renaissance, with titles like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing pioneering the genre. As the gaming industry grows, a demand for relaxing, therapeutic gameplay becomes more and more apparent. Indie developers across the globe have answered the call, putting out titles that pride themselves on meditative gameplay while prompting emotional attachment to NPCs.
Whether the ideal cozy game consists of task-based satisfaction or getting to project personal feelings onto a melancholy storyline, there are options suitable to gamers of all backgrounds. The genre is very flexible, populated with RPGs, platformers, point-and-click adventures, life sims, and much more. These are the games to play after a long day of work, on rainy days, and when you just don't feel like crawling out of bed.
Though lesser known than many of the other titles on this list, Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery is a work of art in the form of a game. Literally: the entire environment is hand drawn and reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli film.
With a charming, cluttered apartment for players to explore as they work on half-finished paintings, the entire atmosphere of this game is soft and warm. Even as the mysterious past of the main character slowly unravels itself, there is a sense of comfort to be found through challenging puzzles and melancholic cutscenes. This game is a great asset to a rainy day spent indoors, snuggled up with a controller and a cup of tea.
A staple in the cozy game industry, Stardew Valley employs a host of game mechanics that are sure to get your brain producing batches of serotonin and dopamine.
Harvesting crops that have finally ripened? Boom, dopamine. Spending a rainy day on the farm with your Stardew Spouse? Boom, Serotonin. Cracking open a geode and getting a gem you've been trying to find for ages? Dopamine again. Decorating your farm with all of the neat things you've collected? Serotonin again. Nothing says cozy like a brain firing off happy chemicals.
Abzu gives players the tranquility of being alone as they control a solitary diver in a vast ocean. Though nothing else close to human waits in the depths of the water, there is plenty of life to seek out. Dolphins spring past the sea's surface, schools of fish swarm together, and manatees laze around in kelp forests. The marine environment in Abzu is massive and fleshed out beautifully for such a short game.
Abzu pushes the concept of exploration for the sake of exploration, and the lack of pressure present makes for a very relaxing playthrough. There is no dying, no hostile fish, and no time-limit. Think of this game as Subnautica's non-evil twin sister.
Spiritfarer describes itself as a "cozy game about dying," and that isn't an exaggeration. Players follow the adventures of Stella, a ferrymaster for wayward spirits of the deceased, as she branches out and builds connections with the denizens of the afterlife.
Though there are a few truly heart-wrenching moments throughout the game, Spiritfarer is notorious for warming the souls of all who play it. When there aren't tears to hold back, there are plenty of tasks for you to attend to, including but not limited to: fishing, gardening, cooking, decorating, and weaving. Ultimately, it's the perfect game for people who want to get a little more in touch with their emotions while still getting the sweet satisfaction of completing routine tasks.
Night in the Woods is a game that can heal the inner child of a player and prompt some serious introspection. Great humor and adorable little animal NPCs aside, the story that this game tells is touching and easy to relate to personal struggles.
Players explore Possum Springs as Mae, a college dropout who returns to her hometown and tries to reconnect with her past. Along the way, friendships are rekindled, pretzels are stolen, and existential dread is confronted. This is a quiet, soft game, but it tackles some very big philosophical questions. Still, there's something comforting to be found in the complexity of the narrative, and it's a great game to play through while getting in touch with feelings that may have been neglected in the past.
It's easy to classify this as a cozy game – just look at the title! Cute name aside, this game gives players plenty of content to binge while comfortably wedged between couch cushions.
With kind ghosts to befriend, adorable furniture to adorn homes with, and various outdoorsy chores to take care of, Cozy Grove is just the kind of game players can sink rainy afternoons into. And the cottagecore vibe and pretty, painted scenery only adds to its coziness.
This game's background music consists of soft jazz and lo-fi. If that doesn't act as a good indicator of how cozy it is, the game's premise should: The player acts as a coffee shop barista in fantasy Seattle, listening to the woes of mythical customers while creating the perfect latte art.
The game progresses and branches off based on how well the local NPCs are treated, and players are sure to experience emotional catharsis by the game's end. Sometimes, people need to step back from their own problems and focus on the fictional problems of a sea nymph. Luckily, this game lets players do just that.
With lovable NPCs, boundless character customization, day-to-day tasks, and tiny homes to decorate, Animal Crossing: New Horizons hits several of the most important identifiers of cozy games. It's one of those games that players sink hours upon hours into, sometimes taking hiatuses from playing, but always getting drawn back in eventually.
There's a long list of relaxing activities to do on player islands, from fishing to cooking to gardening to digging for buried treasure. For people looking to feel productive on tough days when nothing is going as planned, Animal Crossing can be a welcome escape.
Growing Up is a life simulator about personal growth, new friendships, and self-care. It's heavy on strategy, with regular puzzle minigames thrown in and complex skill trees that drive the story forward. It's up to the player to balance work and play, friendships and responsibilities. The careful planning always pays off, though, as playable characters blossom from babies into children into teenagers into young adults. Once that happens, a new baby is born and the game can begin anew with a completely different story.
The nostalgia and parental instinct that players experience through this game make it a cozy title perfect for people who like to plan. Whether the focus of the character is on budding relationships or on preparing for the dream job of a lifetime, there is always a sense of warmth and soft pride to be found in this game.
Unpacking was an immediate success upon its release toward the end of 2021. It's easy to see why: there's immense attention to detail, the underlying story prompts emotional involvement, and the block puzzle aspect of the game is a relaxing act of repetition sure to help with de-stressing.
With no timers and nothing at stake, the gameplay lets players sink themselves into the comfort of completing a task at their own leisure. After a long day, Unpacking may be the perfect way to unwind and leave busy day-to-day stressors behind. And what more could people want out of a cozy game?
The new customisation tools are neat, but we need a lot more than neat at this stage
Sarina is a list writer for TheGamer. Previously, she has written for Activision Blizzard and the Gaming Collegian. As a collegiate Overwatch player, she loves a good competitive game, but she sinks hours into games of all genres. Aside from Overwatch, her favorite franchises are Genshin Impact, Dishonored, and NieR.
